Developing an organisation’s culture and values

When managers and their business owners select units for level 7 Strategic Leadership course, Shape Organisational Culture and Values is a popular choice. As most of our clients are in the service sector and even after years of being established service providers they strive to improve. Recognising that at the heart of their improvement is their employee relations and customer service. Which is impacted by their organisation’s culture and values. Some of the managers have actually undertaken the unit of the award in a previous operational management qualification. But want to lead changes for their organisation during their strategic leadership development.

Key areas for reflecting competency in shaping culture and values

To develop and execute this unit of competency and understanding the manager will need to focus on these key areas, which I will simplify:

Their communication strategy and practice

Their approach to change management

The potential for friction between the organisation and the individual’s culture and values

The SWOT of the culture including sub-cultures of their organisation

The areas of the culture developed

Other organisations approach to culture and values and examples developed in their own organisation

Learning from other organisations

Here I would like to share a quote from Simon Sinek, Author and motivational speaker, which states how culture is organisations is not the same as the product we believe we are purchasing:

‘Starbucks was founded around the experience and the environment of their stores. Starbucks was about a space with comfortable chairs, lots of power outlets, tables and desks at which we could work and the option to spend as much time in their stores as we wanted without any pressure to buy. The coffee was incidental.’

I like to throw these types of examples of famous businesses into our coaching and get the manager to look at other organisations. It’s important to get the managers to be aware, motivated and creative in their approach to their analysis and strategic plans for their own organisation.

Evidence of a strategy

So to meet the level 7 award unit criteria the manager then needs to provide evidence of how they have:

Developed a vision, strategy and structures for influencing organisational culture and values

Used leadership, interpersonal and communication skills and tools to influence organisational culture and values positively

I’ve seen this work presented in a number of different ways. Firstly, within their Strategic Business Plan, where they first developed a strategy and plan. As from the outset to align culture and values was a goal with defined objectives to deliver their business strategy. This often results in the developing their Workforce and Recruitment strategy. Also developing their branding and their Marketing Strategy. All of this supported by evidence of communications. From consulting with colleagues, employees and customers using the range of analysis tools we provide. But most importantly reflected in their well-led improved quality audit standards. Building and leading their continuous improvement strategy resulting in higher sales and profits. Proving that once you start developing your culture and values it affects and improves all areas of your organisation.

This has been a reflection on coaching managers to achieve our ilm level 7 NVQ Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership. If you would like to know more about this award and how our coaching influences change you can talk to us on our Free Discovery Call or just email for further information.

Is it time to grow your business and your leadership team?

Is it that time of year to put a ‘March’ on your business growth? Do you need to review and make changes in your business but also need managers skilled to lead and take those plans forward. Leaders who can create and execute the strategic plans to give the business a new future.

Here at LinQs we coach business owners and managers to grow their business. As our leadership development training is also work based our level 7 Strategic Management and Leadership programme sits very nicely alongside the business growth coaching. Because this programme includes one to one skills coaching and the assessment process to measure the manager’s competency in developing and executing the strategic business plan. As we match the key objectives of the strategic business plan to the optional units of the award we therefore coach the manager to understand and deliver new skills areas. So if the plan requires for example the need to shape the culture, manage governance areas and a marketing strategy we coach the manager one to one to deliver those strategies. The advantage to both the business and the manager is that whilst the manager is working in the business they are working on the business and to attain a postgraduate qualification. A qualification to add confidence and strength to your leadership team.

Total value of the offer is £500+ which is only available for the 1st 10 registrations by 21 March 18

So how does the March offer work?

LinQs level 7 Strategic Leadership programme is all coached one to one online over 10 monthly sessions, with easy access to your learning plans, strategic analysis and plans templates. In March 2018 you would pay a one off registration fee including full assessment costs of £995, then pay £190 per month coaching session from your 2nd session. This special offer gives you 10 sessions for the price of 9 sessions, so £190 free. Plus the one to one online coaching session for either a director or manager, valued at £297, and a copy of “How to Build the Passion and the Profits For Your Business” that retails at £14.99. Giving a special total value of £501.99.

Why are we doing this. Well we’ve accessed commercial funding to finance leadership development. The timing is perfect as we want to make sure that after the Easter period we have a group of committed senior managers ready to grow their business. What’s more that if managers register now and as previous candidates have achieved in 9 months, they could still be qualified in 2018, but certainly no later than March 2019.